I remember the storm well. The same tornado touched down in downtown Atlanta and left buildings damaged that took years to restore. Also, I have a lot of close friends in Cabbagetown and have always loved the historic district and it meant a lot to me that this piece that I selected had a story, and was going to be put to good use.

Nature did the work of making the wood beautiful. Here is how I finished and hung the piece:

First I measured the slab and found the best section.

The slab was around 2.5 inches thick – about the maximum that my circular saw could get through.

There was some discoloration from the effect of the light on the place where the wood was stored for the last few years. I cut this section off.

I set up outside on a lovely Spring Atlanta day

And used this crimped wire grinder to clean up and smooth out the edges

Next came sanding. I went from 80 to 120 to 220 grit. I sanded until my arms hurt and my fingers were dry. But I still left a few nicks and crevasses which only add to the personality.

I used tung oil, rubbing a single layer in front and back, and wiping off the excess with a suede rag. In this picture, a single layer of oil is applied on the bottom part of the wood.

Nature left an amazing topographical pattern in the surface.

After four applications of tung oil and a lot of drying time, it was ready to hang. I used a french cleat on the back and a stud finder to ensure I was screwing into the frame of the house.